The company behind an advertising campaign asking if women are 'beach body ready' says it has received a bomb threat.
More than 50,000 have signed a petition on Change.org calling for the Protein World advert to be banned.
Campaigners claim that the company is "directly targeting individuals, aiming to make them feel physically inferior to the unrealistic body image of the bronzed model in order to sell their product".
A protest against the advert is planned for Saturday in London's Hyde Park, called "Taking back the beach."
But Richard Staveley, Protein World’s Head of Global Marketing, defended the advert to Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard on Good Morning Britain today, telling of the threats made to staff in the wake of the controversy surrounding the advert.
Mr Staveley said: "Firstly we’ve been inundated as you’ve probably seen from our Twitter feed and our Facebook, of people defacing adverts, ripping them down, climbing over rail tracks in order to graffiti them.
"I mean for a start that’s criminal behaviour, I think that’s quite extreme behaviour, I mean I certainly won’t go clamoring over live rail tracks in order to deface anything.
"We’ve actually had threats on our Head Office, physical, violent threats. We had a bomb threat. That’s been reported to the police. It’s currently being investigated but as I say I can’t say anymore than that."
Police told Mirror Online that an alleged 'malicious communication' offence was not reported until 10.08am - after the broadcast.
He added that he stands by the tone of the advertising campaign.
"This advert was based on a great deal of customer research, we’re giving them exactly what they wanted to see it’s been a brilliant campaign for us and I don’t see us changing anything dramatically any time soon," he said.
"What we’re suggesting by ‘Are you beach body ready?’ is we’re asking if you as an individual have reached and attained your own goals that you set for yourself that are going to allow you to don your swimsuit."
He claimed that Renee, the model featured in the yellow bikini in the advert, used Protein World products, and that she "works hard, she plays hard, she trains and she’s done this in conjunction with Protein World".
A spokesman for Transport for London (TfL), which has extensively carried the adverts, confirmed that the adverts are due to be taken down tomorrow.
This is not in connection with any of the controversy surrounding the adverts, the spokesman added, with the advertising contract expiring on Wednesday.
He told Mirror Online that no formal complaints had been made to TfL over the adverts.
The Advertising Standards Authority however has said it received 216 complaints surrounding the campaign.
